Twine holder



April 1, 1941. E. R. ERICKSON TWINE HOLDER I INVENTOR. 1 7 rneai z frL'Cicwz, 64% 9% Filed Dec.

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i y W z a m g Z 0 5T Patented Apr. 1, 1941 UNITED STTES ATE TWINE HOLDER Application December 30, 1940, Serial No. 372,294

10 Claims.

My present invention relates to a holder for spools or cones of twine, such as used in grocery stores and the like.

One object of the invention is to provide an efl'ic'ient holder that may be readily hung overhead and which is rigid enough to provide a substantial support for the twine yet which can be made of comparatively light sheet metal or the like and accordingly at little expense so that it may, if desired, be used as an advertising novelty.

Another object is to provide a twine holder wherein a casing encloses the spools of twine and a part of the casing may be readily swung outwardly for opening the casing and renewing the supply of twine therein.

Still another object is to provide a twine holder consisting of essentially four parts, namely, an upper supporting bar, a lower supporting bar and a casing formed of two parts, one stationary and the other movable for renewing the supply of twine.

A further object is to provide means for suspending the twine holder which includes a pair of wire links that serve for connection to the suspending elements and as an assembly retainer for the casing relative to the upper supporting bar.

Further objects are to provide an easily threadable guide means for the twine which is not interfered with by opening of the casing, and novel means to retain the lower supporting bar in assembled relation to the stationary part of the casing.

With the foregoing, as well as other objects in view, my invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of my device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawing. Although the invention is susceptible of a variety of embodiments, it is unnecessary to fully describe and illustrate more than one in order to give a full understanding of the invention both from its structural and functional standpoint. Accordingly, I have illustrated a preferred and desirable embodiment of the invention in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my twine holder showing the casing open for renewing the supply of twine therein.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of my invention.

Figure 3 is a partial vertical sectional View on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an exploded perspective View of the partsat an upper corner of the holder.

Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view of the parts at a lower corner of the holder; and

Figure 6 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 6-6 of Figure 3.

On the accompanying drawing I have used the reference character S to indicate a lower supporting bar and S an upper supporting bar. In addition to the parts S and S my twine holder includes a casing consisting of a stationary casing member C and an openable casing member C.

The supporting bar S is made of sheet metal or the like and is preferably angle shaped with a vertical flange l0 and a horizontal flange l2 to give it the desired rigidity without using excessive material. Upstanding from the support S is a pair of prongs I3 formed of sheet metal and spot welded or otherwise suitably secured to the flange ID of the support. The prongs l3 are tapered to substantially lit the spools or cones I4 on which twine indicated at I5 is wound. The ends of the supporting bar S are each provided with a pair of lugs I6 which are adapted to extend through slots ll of the stationary or back casing member 0 and two of them have their outer ends twisted as indicated at Hid to retain the parts S and C assembled relative to each other. The upper supporting bar S has a single lug 18 at each end passing through a slot IQ of the casing member C after passing through a round opening 20 of the casing member C.

The casing members C and C are retained on the lug 18 by an S shaped wire hook or loop 2i extended through a perforation 22 of the lug la. The hooks 2! are adapted for supporting the entire structure as by cords or the like 23 suspended from the ceiling.

The casing members C and C are of identical shape and formed of identical blanks for convenience in economyof manufacture. Accordingly, the front casing member C has slots Na and a slot 59a and the back casing member C has a round opening 20a all of which are not used in the assembled structure. The slots and openings Ha, [9d and 28a correspond to those already described as I], I9 and 2!] respectively.

The upper supporting bar S is also preferably formed of sheet metal or the like and of angle shape having a vertical flange 2d and a horizontal flange 25. The flange 25 is provided with four openings 26 while the flange l2 of the supporting bar is provided with two openings 21.

The twine I5 is threaded through these openings in the arrangement shown in Figure 3. Accordingly, the depending end of the twine indicated at [501. may be grasped and the desired length of twine readily removed from the spool of twine and used.

When one of the spools of twine is exhausted,

the front casing member C may be readily swung outwardly as to the position shown in Figure 1, the empty spool i4 removed and a full spool substituted. The end of the twine may then be readily threaded through the openings 26, 26 and 21. The front casing member may then be dropped and the twine holder is ready for further use.

In order to insure that the front casing member will return to its proper position, the ends of the flange I2 of the supporting bar S may be beveled as indicated at I2a in Figure 6 to guide the end walls of the front member to their final position as shown inthis figure.

The casingmembers C and C may be made of very light sheet metal or the like as the supporting bars S and S give the desired strength to the structure for adequately supporting the weight of the two spools of twine. The structure may obviously be lengthened if desired to accommodate further spools of twine. When the structure is suspended by the two cords 23 or the like, it is at all times held level regardless of the amount of twine on each spool. The use of two or more spools insures an adequate supply of twine at all times and permits two clerks to use twine from the same twine holder at the same time. The structure is readily shipped in a knocked down condition and assembling the parts is a matter that takes but a few minutes time.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts of my device without departing from the real spirit and purpose of.

my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims, any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents, which may be reasonably included within their scope.

, I claim as my invention:

1. In a twine holder, a casing comprising a front member and a back member, said members having flanges extending toward each other and, in conjunction with each other, constituting end walls, upper and lower supporting bars for said back member whereby to support it relatively stationary, said front member being hingedly connected to said back member at said upper supporting bar, means on said lower supporting bar to support a spool of twine, guide openings in said supporting bars for twine unwound from the spool of twine, and means for supporting said twine holder from the ends of said upper supporting bar.

2. In a twine holder, a casing comprising a front member and a back member, said members having flanges extending toward each other. and, in conjunction with each other, constituting end walls, upper and lower supporting bars for said back member whereby to support it relatively stationary, said front member being hingedly connected to said back member at said upper supporting bar and means on said lower supporting bar to support a spool of twine.

3. In a twine holder, a casing including front and back membersupper and lower supporting bars for said back member whereby to support it relatively stationary, said front member. being hingedly connected at the top to said back -mem-' ber, means on said lower supporting bar to support a spool of twine, a pair of guide openings in said upper supporting bars and a guide opening in said lower supporting bar for twine unwound from the 511001 of twine, and means for supporting said twine holder.

4. In a twine holder, a casing including a front member and a back member, upper and lower supporting bars for said back member, said front member being hingedly connected to said back member and means on said lower supporting bar to support a spool of twine, said supporting bars having guide openings for twine unwound from the spool of twine.

5. In a twin holder, a casing including a front member and a back member, upper and lower supporting bars for said back member, said front member being hingedly connected to said back member and means on said lower supporting bar to support a spool of twine.

6. Atwine holder comprising a casing including identical front and back casing members, each of said casing members having 'a side wall and a pair of end walls, each of said end walls being provided adjacent their tops and bottoms with slots and adjacent their tops with enlarged round openings, an upper supporting bar having lugs on its ends to pass through the upper slots of said back casing member and through the round openings of said front casing member, a lower supporting bar having lugs at its ends passing through the slots at the lower ends of the end walls of said back casing member, means for retaining said last lugs against recession from said slots, supporting means for said upper supporting bar comprising supporting hooks passing through perforations of the lugs thereof, means on said lower supporting bar for supportingly coacting with a spool of'a spool of twine; said upperv and lower supporting bars being angle shaped and having guide openings in their horizontal flanges for twine unwound from the spool of twine, the round openings, of;

supporting ba'r having fiat lugs on its ends to pass through the upper slots of said back casing memher and through the round openings of said front casing member, a lower supporting bar having flat lugs at its ends passing through the slots at the lower ends of the end walls of said back casing member, means for retaining said last lugs against recession from said last slots, supporting means for said upper supporting bar, hooks passing through perforations of the lugs thereof,

means on said lower supporting bar forsupporting a spool of twine, said upper and lower supporting bars having guide openings for twine unwound from the spool of twine.

8. A twine holder comprising a casing including front and back casing members, each having a side wall and a pair of end walls, the end walls of said back member being provided adjacent their tops and bottoms with slots and the end walls of said front member being provided adja cent their tops with round openings, an upper supporting bar having flat lugs on its ends to pass through the upper slots of said back casing memher and through the round openings of said front casing member, a lower supporting bar having flat lugs at its ends passing through the slots at the lower ends of the end walls of said back casing member, means for retaining said last lugs against recession from said last slots, supporting means for said upper supporting bar, and means on said lower supporting bar for supporting a spool of twine.

9. In a twine holder, a casing comprising a front member and a back member, said front member comprising a front wall and a pair of end walls, said back member being similar to said front member and comprising a back wall and a pair of end walls, upper and lower supporting bars connected to said end walls of said back member, said front member being pivoted to said back member adjacent the ends of said upper supporting bar, means at the ends of said upper supporting bar for supporting said twine holder, means on said lower supporting bar for supporting a spool of twine, said upper supporting bar having a pair of openings to receive and guide the twine, and to change its direction from upwardly to downwardly, and said lower supporting bar having a guide opening for the depending end of the twine.

10. In a twine holder, a casing cimprising a front member and a back member, said front member comprising a front wall and a pair of end walls, said back member being similar to said front member and comprising a back wall and a pair of end walls, upper and lower supporting bars connected to said end walls of said back member, said front member being pivoted to said back member adjacent the ends of said upper supporting bar, means connected with said upper supporting bar for supporting said twine holder, and means on said lower supporting bar for supporting a spool of twine.

ERNEST R. ERICKSON. 

